LAHORE  -  Bilal Asim of Ace Tennis Academy and Abubakar Talha of Wapda recorded upset victories in the main round of the Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmad Memorial National Ranking Tennis Championship 2024 that began on Monday at Sports Board Punjab Tennis Courts, Nishtar Park Sports Complex, Lahore. Bilal Asim of Ace Tennis Academy delivered a remarkable performance, defeating seasoned Heera Ashiq in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, during the men’s singles first round. Abubakar Talha of Wapda also stunned spectators, securing a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Sami Zeb Khan. A standout moment came from an all-Ace Tennis Academy clash, where Ahmed Nael Qureshi triumphed over spirited Hamza Roman with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win. In other first round matches, Abdullah Adnan beat Imran Bhatti 6-3, 6-3, Ahtesham Humayun beat M Salar 6-3, 7-6(5), Yousaf Khalil beat Ahmed Raza 6-1, 6-0, top seed M Shoaib beat Asad Zaman 6-7, 6-2, Barkat Ullah beat Rayan Ahmad 6-1, 6-0, Ahmed Ch beat Abdul Basit 6-1, 6-1, M Abid beat Muhammad Yahya 6-2, 6-1. Haider Ali Khan beat Usman Rafiq 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, Shahreyar Anees beat Faizan Fayyaz 6-4, 6-2, Uzair Khan beat Waqas Malik 6-5, Shahzad Khan beat 6-1, 6-3, Aqeel Khan beat Hamza Ali Rizwan 6-3, 6-2, Muzammil Murtaza beat Amir Mazari 6-2, 7-6(4).Asad Zaman beat Husnain Ali Rizwan 6-2, 6-3 and AhteshamHumayun beat Talha Khan 6-1, 6-1. In the boys U-18 matches, Mahad Shahzad beat Muttebur Rehman 6-2, 6-2, Ahmed Nael Qureshi beat Allay Hussain 6-0, 6-0, Rayan Ahmad beat MHuzamia 6-2, 6-0, Shreyar Anees beat Nabeel Ali Qayum 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, Muhammad Yahya beat Zain Saeed 6-2, 6-0, Hamza beat Abdur Rehman 6-1, 6-2, Hamza Ali Rizwan beat Bilal Awais 6-0, 6-0, M Salar beat Abdullah Pirzada 7-5, 6-0, Rayyan Khan 6-0, 6-0. In the boys U-14 matches, Ohad-e-Mustafa got w/o, Muhammad Muaz beat Sohaib Javed 4-0, 4-0, Hamza Ali Awais got w/o.

 Bilal Asim, a brilliant student of Ace Tennis Academy, expressed his gratitude for the academy after his upset victory against Heera Ashiq. “Under the visionary leadership of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President of PTF and owner of Ace Academy, young talent in Pakistan is flourishing into national stars. Soon, these players will proudly raise the Pakistani flag across the globe.”

Similarly, Ahmad Nael Qureshi, another star of Ace Academy, said:“Ace Tennis Academy is a beacon for aspiring athletes. The dedication of AisamQureshi to nurturing Pakistan’s tennis talent is unmatched. With his guidance, our players are destined for global recognition.”